Apparatus for use in staining cover slips and slides



United States Patent APPARATUS FOR USE IN STAININ G COVER SLIPS AND SLIDES Joseph McGovern, In, Boston, Mass.; 120 Anawan Ave., West Roxbury 32, Mass.

Filed Nov. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 776,006

7 Claims. (Cl. 118-425) The present invention relates to apparatus'for use in staining glass and plastic slides and cover slips.

In the preparation of slides and cover slips used in microscopy, there is need for apparatus that will enable staining procedures to be followed with speed, convenience, and accuracy, and with breakage reduced to a minimum. The broad objective of the invention is to provide apparatus enabling those generally stated require ments to be met. 7

In accordance with the invention, apparatus for use in staining slides and-cover slips comprises a base provided with a series of stain receiving wells. There are 1 Patented May 24,, 19 0 in lifting or lowering a slide 20, see Fig. 1, out of supa plurality of lifters, one for each well, and these are carried by means mounted on the base for movement between a first position in which each lifter rests in an appropriate one of the wells and a second position elevated with respect thereto. In each well, there is a support disposed to enable a lifter to enter its first position and to hold a slide or cover slip in the stain in a position to be picked up by said lifter as it moves from said first to its second position.

With apparatus in accordance with the invention, the broad objectives is realized since it enables a plurality of slides and cover slips to. be simultaneously stained, each with a different fluid, if desired, counter-stained, washed, or dried. These features are, in addition, attended by minimum handling of the slides and cover slips which means saving of time and convenience to the users as reduced breakage, and savings in the volume of stains when slips are used.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown an allustrative embodiment of the invention from which these and other of its objectives, novel features, and advantages will be readily apparent.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan view of apparatus provided with two series of wells, and

Fig. 2 is a partly sectioned side view, and

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately along the indicated lines 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a base 5 provided with two series of wells 6 and end mounts 7 in which are journalled the square shafts 8, one for each series of wells. The base 5 is provided with handles 9 at its ends.

Mounted on each of the shafts 8 are lifters 10, one

.for each well 6 whose free end is in the form of a fork 1'1 and which has reverse bends 12 and 13 (as may best be seen in Fig. 3) enabling each fork 11 to rest in the bottom of its well 6. Each shaft 8 is provided with a handle *14 enabling it to be turned between a first position in which the appropriate forks rest on the bottom of the wells of one series and a second position elevated with respect thereto. Centrally of the base 5 there is a stop pin 15 for engagement by a respective one of the flange plates 16 as a convenient means of establishing the second position of the lifters.

porting contact therewith.

When the slips 17 or slides 20 are to be washed, it is preferred that the washing liquid be poured into the channel defined by the flange plates 16 from which it flows principally laterally into the wells 6 thus to avoid the delivery of any too forcified a stream directly against a slip or a slide that might dislodge them.

When the slides or cover slips in a series of wells are ready to be dried, the appropriate handle 14 is turned .to raise the lifters for that series into their second position in which the'slides or cover slips are disposed in an elevated, tilted position against the shoulder defined by the reverse bends 12 and 13. Each shaft 8 is held by a spring 21 to frictionally maintain the lifters in their second position.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent thatapparatus in accordance with the invention is well adapted for use in preparing cover slips and slides for microscopy.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for use in staining such articles as slides and cover slips, said apparatus comprising a base provided with a series of stain receiving wells dimensioned to receive an article, a plurality of forks, one for each well, means carried by said base and supporting said forks for movement between a first position in which each fork rests in a respective one of said wells and a second position in which said forks are elevated with respect to said wells, and a support in each well disposed to be straddled by an appropriate fork in its first position and to hold an article in the stain to be picked up by said fork as the forks move from said first to said second positions.

2. Apparatus for use in staining such articles as slides and cover slips, said apparatus comprising a base provided with a plurality of series of stain receiving wells dimensioned to receive an article, a plurality of forks, one for each well, means carried by said base, one for each series of wells and supporting the forks for the wells of the series for simultaneous movement between a first position in which each fork rests in a respective one of said wells and a second position in which said forks are elevated with respect to said wells, and a support in each well disposed to be straddled by an appropriate fork in its first position and to hold an article in the stain to be picked up by said fork as the forks move from said first to said second positions.

3. Apparatus for use in staining such articles as slides and a second position in which said forks are elevated with respect to said wells, and a support in each well disposed to be straddled by an appropriate fork in its first position and to hold an article in the stain to be picked up by said fork as the forks move from said first to said second positions.

4. Apparatus for use in staining such articles as slides and cover slips, said apparatus comprising a base proanem a vi h a i s of st in re iv n We ls 1 nsioned to receive an article, a plurality of forks, one for each well, means carried by said base and supporting said forks for movement between a first position in which each fork rests in a respective one of said wells and a second position in which said forks are elevated with respect to said wells, and a rubber support in each well disposed to be straddled by an appropriate fork in its first position and to hold an article in the stain to be picked up by said fork as the forks move from said first to said second positions.

5. Apparatus for use in staining such articles as slides and cover slips, said apparatus comprising a base pro vided with a series of stain receiving wells, each dimensioned to receive an article, a plurality of forks, one for each well, means carried by said base and supporting said forks for movement between a first position in which each fork rests in a respective one of said wells and a second position in which said forks are elevated with respect to said wells, and a support in each well disposed to be straddled by an appropriate fork in its first position and to hold an article horizontally in the stain to be picked up by said fork as the forks move from said first to said second positions, said forks in said second position holding said articles in a tilted position and including an article engaging retaining shoulder.

6. Apparatus for use in staining such articles as slides and cover slips, said apparatus comprising as base provided with a series of stain receiving wells dimensioned to receive an article, a plurality of forks, one for each well, means carried by said base and supporting said forks for movement between a first position in which each fork rests in a respective one of said wells and a second position in which said forks are elevated with respect to said wells, and a support in each well disposed to be straddled by an appropriate fork in its first position and to hold an article in the stain to be picked up by said fork as the forks move from said first to said second positions, and supports adjacent each well spaced outside the path of the fork therefor for the support of an article too long to fit within a well.

7. Apparatus for use in staining each articles as slides and cover slips, said apparatus comprising a base provided wtih a pair of laterally spaced series of stain receiving wells dimensioned to receive an article, a plurality of forks, one for each well, means carried by said base, one for each series of wells and supporting the forks for the wells of the series for simultaneous move ment between a first position in which each fork rests in a respective one of said wells and a second position in which said forks are elevated with respect to said wells, a support in each well disposed to be straddled by an appropriate fork in its first position and to hold an article in the stain to be picked up by said fork as the forks move from said first to said second positions, and a flange member interconnecting the forks for each series of wells, said flange members defining a channel.

No references cited. 

